After N2.5m fine, court threatens Evans with more penalties

After N2.5m fine, court threatens Evans with more penalties

Justice Kayode Ogunjobi of an Igbosere High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) yesterday threatened to impose further costs on convicted kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a. Evans, for delaying a £223,000 suit.

One of Evans’ kidnap victims, Chief Donatus Duru, filed the suit in 2018 demanding a return of the £223,000 he paid to Evans as ransom to free himself from the kingpin’s custody.

Duru is also demanding the sum of N50million as damages at 20 per cent interest.

Justice Ogunjobi, before whom the matter is, has already imposed costs of N2.5million on Evans.

Upon resumption of proceedings yesterday, the judge threatened to impose another cost on the convict for his delay tactics over his choice of lawyer.

Justice Ogunjobi lamented that Evans’ conduct was “hurting everybody” and costing the Lagos State Government money”.

When the case was called, a lawyer, Maxwell Chukwuemeka, announced that he was seeking to represent the defendant (Evans) in the case.

Evans had on March 3, 2022, applied to the court to be allowed to defend himself.

But Chukwuemeka told the court that he had filed two applications – a motion for change of counsel and a motion for amendment of the defendant’s statement of defence.

Chief Duru’s counsel, Mr D. O. Obiora, said the defendant had been changing counsel but did not oppose the applications.

He noted that the court delivered a ruling on May 23, granting leave for the defendant to file its statement of defence.

He wondered how Evans was seeking leave to amend a defence he had yet to file.

Justice Kayode Ogunjobi granted both applications but noted that the matter had suffered several adjournments.

He said: “The delay is hurting everybody and putting the state at an expense. We have been here since 2018 till 2022, at the instance of the defendant. I awarded a cost of N2.5 million because the delay was unwarranted.

“If there is a further delay, I will award another cost because I don’t see why you have an application to amend your statement of defence and you didn’t come with the amended statement to file it”.

He adjourned the case till July 13 for the defence to open its case.